Accessory for a shoe



July 16, 1963 EVANS 3,097,438

ACCESSORY FDR A SHOE Filed April 9, 1962 54 INVENTOR ANTHONY J. EVANSATTORNEY 3,897,438 ACCESSQRY FOR A SHQE Anthony .F. Evans, Box 14,Wendell Depot, Mass. Filed Apr. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 186,033 7 Claims. (Cl.36-11) This invention relates to an accessory for a shoe, and theprincipal object of the invention resides in the provision of anattachment to a shoe or similar footwear, said attachment facilitatingthe placement of the foot into the shoe or other footwear and acting inthe nature of a shoehorn, said attachment preferably being attached tothe shoe as to the sock liner.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of the shoeattachment acting as a shoehorn as above described which includes agauging or positioning memher conforming in general to a certain portionof the area of the insole of the shoe, particularly in the heel portionthereof, said gauging member being adapted to be flatly secured to thesock liner or to the insole by adhesive, and having a flexible shoehornmember secured thereto at the shank of the shoe and adapted to be pulledup to be engaged by the heel of a persons foot as it is about to beplaced in the shoe, and moving downwardly with the foot and acting as ashoehorn in placing the foot in the shoe.

This invention represents an improvement over United States Patent #3,014,288 issued December 26, 1961 and refers in general to means forpositioning the attachment in the shoe in a correct locationparticularly with respect to the heel of the shoe, including gauging orpositioning means to be placed in the shoe particularly in the heel andshank area thereof, so as to locate the accessory in the correctrelation with respect to the counter to facilitate the addition of theattachment to the shoe and to improve the action thereof.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth inthe appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 isa vertical sectional view taken through a shoe with a form of the novelattachment applied thereto and showing the foot being inserted in theshoe;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modification;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the form of the invention shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the form of the invention shown inFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an edge view of another modification, and

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the modification of FIG. 5, looking inthe direction of arrow 6.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown what is a completelyconventional shoe which has an upper at 10, an outsole 12, a heel 14,and a counter 16, and it is to be emphasized that the shoe is completelyconventional and may be of any well known construction such as Goodyearwelt, vulcanized, stitched-down, moccasin, etc.

The accessory in the present case as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is shown asa member generally indicated at 18 which is in the general form of theinsole of the shoe to which the accessory is to be attached. This memberis preferably made of suitable thin material which may be convenientlyadhesively secured to the insole or the sock liner already present inthe shoe, and it has the shape in general thereof having a forward toeportion and a rearward heel portion 22, these being joined by anintermediate shank portion 24.

It is very convenient to make the member 13 of a plastic fabric or papermaterial which is provided at its under side with a pressure-adhesiveand also a protective cover 3,097,438 Patented July 16, 1963 ice memberfor the adhesive so that this protective cover member merely has to bestripped off, the member 18 inserted into the shoe, and then pressed inposition so that it becomes substantially permanently adherent to thesock liner or the insole. In this connection it is to be noted that themember 18 should substantially fit the shoe and is preferably made inrights and lefts for this purpose. In any event, it is to beparticularly noted that the heel portion at 22 should be placed toconform to the rear of the shoe at the counter as it is only in this Waythat the attachment to be described can be properly positioned to act inits intended manner as is illustrated in FIG. 1.

The attachment itself is indicated by the reference numeral 26 and ismade of a suitable material such as leather, plastic, etc. It includesan elongated portion 28 and a tab at 30. The tab at 30 is madeintegrally and it has a reduced waist area at 32 so that it is moreeasily bent in this area and it also may be provided with apertures 33if desired to make it conform to the counter more easily.

The part 18 which is generally shaped to fit the shoe so that it willfit into the shoe in a pre-assembled location therein may be cemented atthe under side thereof at the factory, or as stated above. Thepressure-sensitive adhesive coating with the cover would be generallysold for use in the after market, i.e., shoes already manufactured andsold. In addition to the use of the holes 33 shown in the tab 36 forconforming to the counter it is preferred that short slits as at 34 alsobe used to make the fold line at 36 a little easier to manipulateespecially when the device is new.

At the forward end of the elongated portion 28, the same is skived atthe under side thereof and adhesive is applied in the area indicated bythe reference numeral 38. The part 28 is permanently secured to member18 which acts as a gauge to exactly locate the tab 30 in the correctposition as for instance as shown in FIG. 1 for proper and easyapplication of the device, and for use as a permanent, built-inshoehorn.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4, the construction in this case issubstantially the same but without the toe piece at 20. In this casethere is a heel portion generally indicated at 40 having a rounded rearedge 42 and at its forward edge it is cut off sharp at 44 with a squareedge to receive in secured relationship thereto the skived forward edgeat 46 of the elongated portion 48 having the terminal tab at 50, the tab50 and the elongated portion 48 being the same or substantially so asthe respective parts at 28 and 30 in FIG. 3. Also, holes or perforations51 can be utilized as at 33.

Although the form of the invention shown in FIG. 3 will snugly fit theshoe for which it is made, the same is true as to the form of theinvention shown in FIG. 4 because the heel edge 42 can be applied to thecounter of the shoe. Therefore the user merely has to abut the edge 42against the inside of the shoe at the heel against the counter area andthe device is correctly positioned, so that if there ispressure-sensitive adhesive on the bottom surface of the member 40, thenall the user has to do is to press this member down onto the sock lineror the heel portion of the insole, and the same is in the correctposition. Hence, the member 40 is the gauge by which the member 48 andtab 50 are correctly positioned within the shoe, the same as in the FIG.3 construction except that the forward toe portion 30 now has beendispensed with. Here again adhesive can be preapplied to the bottom ofthe member 40 but it is not needed in the event that the device is to beapplied to the shoe at the factory, but only where it is to be appliedby the consumer himself.

, as leather, imitation leather, plastic, etc.

,3 There is provided a still furthermodification of the inventionwherein the gauge member is indicated at 52 in FIG. 5. This gauge memberhas permanently attached thereto 'in the area 54 the accessory member 56which itself has an integral toe member 58 and tab 60. The

mem-ber- 52 also has the rounded rear edge at 62 for positioning againstthe counter, and the toe member at 58 fits the shoe also.

The tab 60 is the same as above described with relation toFIG. 3 at 30,preferably including holes or perforations 61, and in this case it willbe seen that the adhesive can be used as well as other kinds of cementat the factory as above described.

It is pointed out that the materials used in the present case can be ofany convenient or suitable description such In most cases theunder-lyingportion at 18 in FIG. 3; 40 in FIG. 4, ,and; 52 in FIG. 5will be of relatively thin nature, but nevertheless it necessary theparts can be skived Where ,desired in order to form connections as at38, 46 and 54 which will not cause any [discomfort to the foot.

In all cases there is provided by this invention a positive gauge bywhich the tab at 30, and is positive1y. positioned so that it willoperate correctly, pivot- ,ing from the shank of the shoe adjacent theball of the footso that when the foot is pushed down (see FIGS.

1 and 2), the tabs will lie in correct position.

It is important that these gauges be utilized in order to correctlyposition the accessory, both as to its point of pivot in the shank ofthe shoeand as to its tab positionat the rear or counter portion of theshoe, so that it, will operate smoothly and easily for the intendedpurpose of assisting the wearer to assume the footwear.

Having thus described my invention and the advanvtages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is: V

1. An attachment for a shoe, said attachment comprising a flat gaugingpart, said gauging part having a portion thereof conforming to the shapeof the sole of the shoe including the heel and the shank, said gauging 4part being adapted to be cemented in position with respect to the shoe,and a movable, flexible accessory secured to said gauging part adjacentthe shank area only thereof, said accessory extending to the rear andbeing otherwise free of the gauge part, the accessory normally extendingabove the shoe counter and upon Which the foot is adapted to be set inentering the shoe, the foot causing said accessory to slide down andconform to the shape of the counter, assisting the foot in entering theshoe, said gauging part including an arcuate rear edge that conforms toand fits the corresponding portion of the heel of the shoe to correctlylocate the accessory with respect to the counter portion of the shoe.

2. The attachment of claim 1 wherein the gauging part is located andconforms only to the heel and shank area of the shoe.

3. The attachment of claim 1 wherein said gauging part extendsthroughout the sole of the shoe.

4. The attachment of claim 1 wherein said gauging part extends to theheel and shank portion only of the shoe and there being an integral,forwardly extending toe portion on the accessory, said forwardlyextending toe portion of the accessory and said gauging part togetherforming a gauge extending throughout the entire sole of the shoe.

5. The attachment set forth in claim 1 wherein said tab is perforated.

6. The attachment set forth in claim 1 wherein said tab is perforatedand including slits extending from said tab into the body of theaccessory.

7. The attachment set forth in claim 1 wherein said tab is perforatedand including slits extending from said tab into the body of theaccessory, a constricted Waist portion between the tab and the main bodyof the accessory, said inwardly extending slits extending from the tabinto the main body of the accessory at the waist to aid in flexing ofthe tab as the foot descends into the shoe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS764,635 Scism July 12, 1904 769,766 Palmer Sept. 13, 1904 2,118,019Benjafield May 17, 1938 3,014,288 Evans et a1 Dec. 26, 1961

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR A SHOE, SAID ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A FLAT GAUGINGPART, SAID GAUGING PART HAVING A PORTION THEREOF CONFORMING TO THE SHAPEOF THE SOLE OF THE SHOE INCLUDING THE HEEL AND THE SHANK, SAID GAUGINGPART BEING ADAPTED TO BE CEMENTED IN POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE SHOE,AND A MOVABLE, FLEXIBLE ACCESSORY SECURED TO SAID GAUGING PART ADJACENTTHE SHANK AREA ONLY THEREOF SAID ACCESSORY EXTENDING TO THE REAR ANDBEING OTHERWISE FREE OF THE GAUGE PART, THE ACCESSORY NORMALLY EXTENDINGABOVE THE SHOE COUNTER AND UPON WHICH THE FOOT IS ADAPTED TO BE SET INTHE ENTERING THE SHOE, THE FOOT CAUSING SAID ACCESSORY TO SLIDE DOWN ANDCONFORM TO THE SHAPE OF THE COUNTER, ASSISTING THE FOOT IN ENTERING THESHOE, SAID GAUGING PART INCLUDING AN ARCUATE REAR EDGE THAT CONFORMS TOAND FITS THE CORRESPONDING PORTION OF THE HEEL OF THE SHOE TO CORRECTLYLOCATE THE ACCESSORY WITH RESPECT TO THE COUNTER PORTION OF THE SHOE.